During the month of November, Megan Taylor Meier would have been turning 23! That’s right 23 years old! Help us celebrate Megan’s birthday by giving your gift of $23 throughout November to help us achieve our goal of $23,000!

Why are we doing this?

Because over 160,000 students stay home everyday from school for the fear of being bullied. Because no one deserves to fall victim to bullies and live in constant fear that they will be tormented. Because no one deserves to feel worthless, left out, unimportant, and empty by the doing of an aggressor. The bullying and cyberbullying has gone on for too long and it’s time that we put an end to it for good!

Making your donation of $23 throughout the month of November will help the Megan Meier Foundation continue our mission to put and end to bullying and cyberbullying in our world, celebrate Megan’s 23rd birthday, and honor all lives lost to suicide.

Did you know that your donation of just $4.70 helps the Megan Meier Foundation impact ONE child who struggles with bullying and cyberbullying?

That means your donation of $23 will impact over FOUR children through the Megan Meier Foundation!

Head on over to meganmeierfoundation.org to make your donation of $23 or YOUR age in dollar amount and help us blow out the candles on bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide for good!

As the summer of 2015 is nearing a close, we must now look forward to the fall season and more specifically, the return to school for millions of children around the world.

For teenagers, this can be an exciting time to once again reunite with their friends, teachers/mentors, and social group in general. Many parents, on the other hand, battle a mix of emotions that range from excitement for their child to continue pursuing an education, to the fear of the unknown.

Right at the top of this “fear of the unknown” list is that parents need to constantly be aware of the issue of cyberbullying. According to the news and the media, cyberbullying is becoming more and more evident in our school systems, and parents often feel strapped with what they can legally do to prevent this for their children.

With public schools and colleges beginning in just a few short weeks, the city of Boston is doing what they can to raise awareness not only in the nearby New England states, but for the rest of the country as well.

The Boston Globe reports “a study of more than 16,000 Boston-area high school students suggests cyberbullying is on the rise, most sharply with girls as victims and abetted by the prevalence of smartphones among teenagers.”

The most alarming statistic found from the study was that the percentage of the students who said they experienced cyberbullying jumped from 14.6 percent to 21.2 percent over a six-year period.

“The percentage of girls reporting incidents involving bullying or harassment on forums such as websites and social networks shot up 10 percent, while incidents targeting boys increased 3 percent, according to the study. At the same time, reports of in-person bullying decreased by 3 percent over the period.”

Unfortunately, the harsh reality of a teenager’s life in 2015 is that there is no escape – when the school day ends, the threat of being a victim of cyberbullying is just beginning.

Studies such as this one in Boston show us that cyberbullying is not only a problem we’ve started to become aware of in recent years, but a problem that is becoming worse with each passing year.

For more information: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/08/02/study-boston-area-teens-suggests-cyberbullying-rise/R4fQNCY13o4mrpe41dwagI/story.html

With your help, we can make a difference. Help end the fight against bullying. Join the conversation using the hashtag #StopBullying and #BeTheChange.

When you hear the words “Be the change you wish to see in the world”, what is it that you see?

Do you see a world with no discrimination? With no broken homes? With equal opportunity?

Throughout the month, we have been partnering with Ledbetter and taking a step back to determine what it truly means to “Be the change”. Truth is, to everyone, that change means something different – we ALL want to see something different happening in the world that we live it.

So when you ask yourself, “what is my change?”, what comes to your mind?

They say a ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.

As we wrap up the month of July we are challenging YOU to become the change. You are the difference maker. The world changer. The change that this world needs to see. We challenge you to live out that change and sign our pledge to live a life that changes ideas, voices, opinions – to be whatever that change is that you need to see!

Take the pledge and live for better tomorrows by downloading your own here, then take a photo and share with us all over social media with #LedbetterCampaign and #LTBTC

Over the last 10-15 years, society has started to realize some of the serious consequences that bullying can have on a person’s life. We know that victims face greater challenges than the typical individual in the short-term (for example, graduating high school), but what about the long-term?

About a week ago, Discovery News wrote a piece on a study done by the journal Lancet. They concluded, among other things, that “children who have been bullied are more likely to have mental health struggles later in life than children who are mistreated by adults.”

The study of 5,446 children surprisingly suggested that maltreatment by adults led to no more adverse effects suffered later in life than kids who hadn’t been maltreated. On the other hand, children who were bullied were far more likely to have mental health issues later in life compared to those who had not.

Taking a closer look, the study revealed some surprising information about children who were bullied alone:

“Children who were bullied by peers only were more likely than children who were maltreated only to have mental health problems … with differences in anxiety … depression … and self-harm,” the study said.

One valid argument against such findings is that children spend more time around bullies than they do abusive parents.

The study was wrapped up with this important note:

“Being bullied by peers in childhood had generally worse long-term adverse effects on young adults’ mental health. These effects were not explained by poly-victimization. The findings have important implications for public health planning and service development for dealing with peer bullying.”

Although the truth is disturbing, it’s refreshing to see people take the initiative to educate themselves while raising awareness for others in the process. With continued studies and research on bullying, we can be confident that the world will be a better place for our youth as we move towards the future.

With your help, we can make a difference. Help end the fight against bullying. Join the conversation using the hashtag #StopBullying and #BeTheChange.

For more than 14 years (1998-2011), Hines Ward showcased his incredible talent as a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football league. Some of his greatest accomplishments include being a 2x Super Bowl Champion, a 4x Pro Bowl selection, and having his #86 retired by the Pittsburgh Steelers organization.

While he is most recognized around the world as a standout professional athlete, the adversity Ward faced in order to achieve his dreams should not be overlooked. Born an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) biracial left Ward a constant bullying victim in school. This is how Ward summed up his experiences as a child, the target of discrimination:

“The black kids didn’t want to hangout with me because I was Korean. The Korean kids didn’t want to hangout with me because I was black. The white kids didn’t want to hangout with me because I was both black and Korean.”

Ward goes on to say that sports was the one thing he could turn to growing up because sports are about winning and being a part of a team, regardless of race.

In 2010, Ward’s days on the playing field were coming to an end but his goals to make a difference off the field were just beginning. He was selected to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission, where he was one of 18 Commissioners to serve on the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The story of Hines Ward shows that anybody can be a victim of bullying, but with the right mindset, overcoming even the most challenging obstacles in life is possible. Today, Ward is still a prominent figure in the fight against bullying.

You can join the conversation and learn more about Ward’s story and AAPI bullying prevention on Twitter using the hashtag #AAPIstrong.

For more information on Hines Ward, his struggle with bullying, and his movement, please visit the following links:

We would like to acknowledge our friend Kaisee Perkins for this blog post “To Feel or Not To Feel”. Thank you for sharing with us Kaisee!

To feel or not to feel? That is the question. A couple of words that I think people need to understand. The first one being empathy, a word that is used to describe the ability to understand and to share feelings. The second being sympathy, a word that is used to describe a feeling of pity and sorrow for someone’s misfortune. For those that have been bullied, was there a time which you felt like you were in search of empathy? I know there was to me.

Bully, bullied, bullying, these are such strong words. But they get over-used way too much. A second grader sitting in class throws his hand up in the air, “Teacher! He won’t let me use his crayon, he’s bullying me!” The teacher gets up walks to the table and administers discipline to the child who wouldn’t give the other kid the crayon. The boy, hollering at the teacher, got his way. Was that boy, the one who didn’t give the other the crayon a bully? Once again, over used. These three words bring a problem to my eyes.

Walking through the halls of high school, a senior waits before the bell in a different classroom than the one she is supposed to be at. The bell rings, then rings again. She walks out of that class room, late to class, into the classroom she should be in.

(You are probably puzzled.)

This senior was told to not be in the hallways with a certain person. This SENIOR had to avoid even eye contact with a particular person. Why you may ask? Well, after this senior was accused of several different things, she was investigated. All investigations led to no findings. Nothing happened to the accuser except for the ongoing use of what I would consider power.

Not everyone understands those three words. It hurts.

People who have been in those situations where they were the victim, cry for help. They reach out for understanding too. They want to be heard! They go to speak and they are told they are crazy, to shut up, to just….drop it. They are crying for someone’s EMPATHY not someone’s sympathy.

We are told to get over it, its life, it happens to everyone. We are pushed and pushed to get over something that is so hard to overcome. We need help. If we aren’t alone, then why is empathy so hard to come by? Empathy IS our help.

I close in saying, YOU are not alone in anyway. Whether it is YOUR FAITH, YOUR FAMILY, or even just EMPATHY (a cry for help), YOU are not alone. So, there’s just one thing I would like you to think about? Should we feel or Should we not feel?

“You came to my school and very possibly could have saved my life. I was going through some tough times with bullying and such but since your visit, I feel like I’m ok again. I’m doing better in school, getting ready to graduate, and have a wonderful relationship with my family and friends. Thank you, you do such lifesaving and heart touching work. I just wish someone like you had been there for your daughter like you were for me.”

– Allie S

#ThinkActChange #LiveCampaign

It has been said that only the ideas that we actually LIVE are of any value. Today we challenge you to think of who you have the opportunity to inspire with your life and choose to LIVE in front of them, refuse to watch from the sidelines. Become a major player by partnering with Megan Meier Foundation as we inspire our children to LIVE.

“Hi, I was searching for stories and ways bullying impacts people, and came across this page. Here is my story.

On November 23, 2012 I was at the mall with a friend when a group of kids from my school came up to me threatening me. They eventually left me alone, so I thought.. Later that night they came back, drug me into a store’s dressing room and begin to curse at me, then dragged me outside where they called me names and then started hitting me, video taping it. The video was everywhere and everyone knew. I was humiliated, I didn’t go to school after because I didn’t want to face them, only to make things worse I got charged with truancy..

In April of 2013 I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and ADHD then also put into counseling, and things were very awkward at first.. I lost all my friends and became very depressed I was then seeing two counselors, making me miss more school I failed my grade and had to repeat it, August 2013 I started school and got made fun of everyday this is when the cutting began. I told my parents and they told the school and my counselors, they sent me to a physiatrist and I was put on an antidepressant, it did not help me in any way and only made things worse, I was failing almost all my classes at this point and felt as if I was a failure, there were days id be okay and others I would feel like dying.. I’ve slowly been getting better and trying to focus on the positive things but it’s not too easy.

It’s an everyday battle and I’m praying I make it through it. I now am seeing two counselors, on two antidepressants, and trying to be happy. I’m trying to raise awareness about bullying, I have a job going to schools and talking to the kids about self-harm and bullying, I have also talked three people out of suicide, and I think what you’re doing is an amazing thing.”

– Kala 15

It has been said that a man’s actions are the best interpreters of his thoughts. Today we challenge you to think about your children and the environment you would want to create for them. Now consider providing this same environment for every child across the world. Consider becoming a partner with Megan Meier Foundation and help us cultivate an environment of love for all children.

#ThinkActChange #LiveCampaign

*This is a real story, shared in confidence from one of our followers. Please note that names and photos have been changed to protect the identity of this individual. Thank you for your support.

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National Suicide Prevention Line

If you or someone you know is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress please call:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
The call is free and available 24-hours. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.